Overseas Territories: European Convention on Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 17 January 2002 (WA 171) and 7 February 2001 (WA 110), when they will be in a position to extend the self-governing Overseas Territories Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the abolition of the death penalty.

Baroness Amos: The Government expect to be in a position to extend the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights to the Overseas Territories when capital punishment for treason and piracy has been abolished in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which is expected to be later this year.

Immigration Control: Migrant Workers

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they propose that the United Kingdom should ratify the United Nations Convention of 1990 on the rights of all migrant workers and their families; and, if not, which articles they consider unacceptable.

Lord Rooker: The Government have no plans at present to sign and ratify the covention. We consider we have already struck the right balance between the need for immigration control and the protection of the interests and rights of migrant workers and their families in the United Kingdom. The rights of migrant workers and their families are protected in United Kingdom legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998, and the United Kingdom's existing commitments under international law.
	The convention in its totality applies to migrant workers and members of their families during the entire migration process, including their entry into the United Kingdom. We consider that the pre-entry and on-entry scope of the convention could undermine the United Kingdom's system of frontier controls were the UK to ratify the convention.

Prisons: Child-centred Visits

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will list the prisons in which "child-centred visits" are now available for prisoners who are parents, giving the category of the prison in each case.

Lord Rooker: Provision of extended visits for children and families is at the discretion of individual governors, who take into account a number of factors, including the availability of staffing and other resources. However, over the last 10 years an increasing number of establishments offer such visits, which take place over a longer period than routine social visits and in more relaxed surroundings, using existing recreational facilities. Greater emphasis is placed on the needs of the child and I am pleased that there is a growing appreciation of the benefits which may be gained from visits of this kind. Information on which establishments offer such facilities is not collated centrally by the Prison Service. Rebo

Asylum Procedures: EU Common Standards

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made with other European Union governments on agreeing common standards for the handling of asylum applications.

Lord Rooker: To date, the European Union (EU) governments have been working to reach agreement on instruments designed to meet the Treaty of Amsterdam commitment for member states to adopt measures designed to establish minimum standards for asylum procedures and policies across the EU. The deadline for this is May 2004. At the Tampere European Council in October 1999, member states agreed to look beyond the minimum standards established by 2004 towards the creation of a common European asylum system. After a slow start there is now increasing momentum on the first stage of the process to establish minimum standards. The United Kingdom has participated actively in this process and has opted in to all the measures to date.
	The following measures have been adopted to date: Council regulation establishing the EURODAC electronic fingerprinting database (adopted 11 December 2001); and Council directive on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in event of mass influx (adopted 20 July 2001).
	At the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in Luxembourg on 25 and 26 April a general agreement was reached on the text of the directive establishing minimum standards on reception conditions for asylum seekers. Final adoption is anticipated in the coming months.
	Three other measures remain under discussion: the proposed regulation to replace the Dublin convention (Dublin II); the proposal for a Council directive on minimum standards on procedures for member states for granting and withdrawing refugee status; and the proposal on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals and stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection. Rebo

Criminal Records Bureau: Registered Bodies

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 23 April (WA 19–20), which national governing bodies of sport have registered with the Criminal Records Bureau; and which have registered as umbrella bodies, indicating in each case whether they are performing "open" and "closed" functions.

Lord Rooker: Since they have not all given their specific consent, it would not be appropriate to publish a list of all the bodies registered with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) for the purpose of countersigning applications for standard and enhanced disclosures.
	Up to 8 May, some 27 national governing bodies of sport had been registered with the CRB. Of these, 10 have agreed to act as umbrella bodies and have consented to having their details made available. Those who are offering an "open" service (ie have agreed to countersign applications on behalf of others outside their own sector or circle) include the British Orienteering Federation Ltd, Professional Anglers' Association and the Swimming Teachers' Association. Those who are offering a "closed" service include the Badminton Association of England, the British Amateur Gymnastics Association, the British Canoe Union, the English Hockey Association, the Football Association of Wales, the Lawn Tennis Association and the Royal Yachting Association. Rebo

Older People: Physical Activity

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 24 April (WA 37–39), what action is being undertaken by the Home Office, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to the promotion of physical activity among older people; and what funding the departments have each allocated for this purpose.

Lord Rooker: The Government are committed to improving the position of older people in our society. This is an issue that is relevant not only to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) but also to others across government, including the Home Office and the Department for Education and Skills.
	The Government's strategy is co-ordinated by a Cabinet sub-committee of Ministers from several departments, chaired by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions. The strategy consists of five main strands: encouraging and enabling active ageing, promoting age diversity, tackling pensioner poverty for today's and future pensioners, maintaining and supporting independence in later life and working in partnership with older people to provide better services focused on the needs of individuals.
	DWP is also aware that increasingly older people want to remain active longer through work. The Government are committed to helping people of all ages back to work. The range of back to work programmes includes New Deal 50 plus, New Deal 25 plus and New Deal for Disabled People. These programmes have helped to ensure that the employment rate for people aged 50 to state pension age has increased each year for the last four years.
	New Deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme and was launched in April 2000. The programme provides active help and advice for individuals who have been out of work and dependent on benefits for six months or more. Through a personal adviser it offers an income top-up of £60 per week for people returning to full-time work (£40 a week for part-time work) and an in work training grant. In its first two years of national operation, New Deal 50 plus has already helped nearly 67,000 people off benefits and back into work.
	Through our Age Positive campaign we are also promoting to employers the business benefits of recruiting, training and retaining older workers.
	The Department for Education and Skills is exploring physical activity as part of its development programme, which explores innovative ways of engaging older people in learning. Two projects are currently running, the first to develop a programme for senior peer mentors, costing £22,700, which will enable older people to encourage increased levels of physical activity among their peers; the second, costing £15,300, to develop a programme to engage older people in sports based volunteering in their communities. Rebo
	The Home Office, through funding of the Experience Corps Company of £19.9 million over three years, is encouraging older people to be active in their community, mainly through voluntary work. This may involve volunteering activity that encourages people to be physically active, but this is not specifically targeted.

Alleged War Crimes: Discussions with US Authorities

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Dr Henry Kissinger or anyone on his behalf has sought any assurances from the Government about immunity from arrest or prosecution in the United Kingdom for alleged war crimes or alleged crimes against humanity; and, if so, what assurances or advice have been given.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: In our discussions with the US authorities on this issue, we gave no such assurances nor were any sought.

Vibration: Physical Agents Directive

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there is a European directive or regulation, present or proposed, on vibrations caused by machinery or other equipment; if so, what is the purpose of the legislation; why is it not subject to subsidiarity; and whether it has the support of the Government.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive is expected to be adopted within the next few days and is required to be transposed into UK legislation in 2005. It sets minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to risks arising from hand-arm and whole-body vibration. The Government believe that the risks to health from exposure to vibration are such as to warrant action at Community level and welcome the directive in the form agreed by all member states and the European Parliament. John B

Ladders: Use of Work Equipment Directive

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there is a European directive or regulation, present or proposed, relating to ladders; if so, what is its purpose; and whether it has the support of the Government.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Second Amendment to the Use of Work Equipment Directive, which covers the selection and use of all equipment for work at height, also contains specific provisions relating to the use of scaffolding, ladders and rope access equipment. It was adopted by the Council of Ministers in July 2001 and must be implemented in the UK by July 2004.
	The purpose of the directive is to reduce the number of fatalities and accidents caused by falls from height at work. On average in Great Britain there are 80 fatalities and 5,500 major injuries per year; around 25 per cent of these involve ladders. The Government fully support this purpose.

Protest Site, Parliament Square

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why a permanent and mainly unmanned protest site has been permitted on the area of Parliament Square; and whether they will ensure that the paraphernalia on the grass is removed whenever the protesters leave.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: This is the responsibility of Westminster City Council, but I understand that the council has served a notice under Section 149(1) of the Highways Act 1980 requiring this protestor to remove his placards from the highway on the grounds that they constitute a nuisance. If the protestor does not comply, the council can then make a complaint to a magistrates' court and seek a removal and disposal order.

DVLA Customer Documents: Address Checks

Lord Swinfen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What checks the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency undertakes to ascertain whether addresses given on vehicle registration and driving licence applications are genuine.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The onus rests with DVLA's customers to enter their current addresses on all application forms for vehicle registration documents and driving licences. However, all addresses on customers documents are tested at DVLA against a definitive postcoding package based on Royal Mail's preferred list of addresses. Rebo

Housing in Rural Areas

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were, by region for each of the last 10 years, (i) the amount of land being made available for affordable housing in rural areas; (ii) the proportion built on; and (iii) the proportion that is (a) greenfield and (b) brownfield.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The annual statistical bulletin Land Use Change in England provides by English region information on the proportion of new housebuilding on brownfield sites. However, the information collected does not distinguish affordable from general market housing.

Housing in Rural Areas

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they are using to increase the uptake of brownfield sites for affordable housing in rural areas.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Our planning policies expect suitable brownfield sites to be developed before greenfield sites and local authorities to make sufficient land available to meet the housing needs of local people in rural areas. The increased funding we have provided through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme, local authority expenditure and the use of planning powers to secure affordable housing are expected to deliver 9,000 homes annually in rural areas in England by 2003–04.

Housing in Rural Areas

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total number of Rural Exception Sites and their relative value for each of the last 10 years.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Local authorities in England are asked to provide information on affordable housing delivered through the planning system as part of their annual housing investment programme returns. On the basis of their responses, in 1999–2000, 466 affordable homes were completed on rural exception sites and in 2000–01 there were 321 completions and planning permission was granted for a further 407 homes. In previous years this information was not collected centrally.

Housing in Rural Areas

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to alter the right to buy scheme for affordable housing in rural areas.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: We have no plans to make any changes to the right to buy scheme in rural areas, or otherwise.
	However, we have been encouraging local authorities to consider using existing possibilities to restrict the resale of right to buy properties to local people. Under the legislation local authority landlords selling properties located in national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty or rural areas designated for this purpose have discretion to impose restrictions on their resale. An owner may be required to offer the property back to the landlord (if they wish to resell within 10 years) or to people who have lived or worked locally for three years. We want to make sure that more of the existing housing in rural areas is available to local people. There are currently 24 designated rural areas and our November 2000 Rural White Paper Our Countryside: The Future encouraged other local authorities to consider seeking designation.

Housing in Rural Areas

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What recent research the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions has undertaken on the relationship between tenants living in affordable housing in rural areas and social exclusion.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The department has not carried out any recent research studies which explicity address the relationship between tenants living in affordable housing in rural areas and social exclusion.

Council Tax Bands

Lord Hardy of Wath: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many properties were included in each of the bands set down for the purposes of council tax in the first year following its introduction and in the current years; what were the values of properties in the bands in that first year and what they are today; and whether they consider that there is general acceptance that the structures and values within each band are appropriate.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: In each year of operation of the council tax, dwellngs have been allocated to council tax bands on the basis of their estimated value as at 1 April 1991. The following table gives figures for England, as used for the first and most recent years of operation.
	
		
			 Band Number (rounded to nearest thousand) as at: 
			 (valuation for council tax purposes as at 1 April 1991) December 1992 16 October 2001 
			 A (under £40,000) 5,245,000 5,562,000 
			 B (£40,001–£52,000) 3,828,000 4,121,000 
			 C (£52,001–£68,000) 4,377,000 4,600,000 
			 D (£68,001–£88,000) 2,912,000 3,184,000 
			 E (£88,001–£120,000) 1,813,000 1,984,000 
			 F (£120,001–£160,000) 983,000 1,046,000 
			 G (£160,000–£320,000) 748,000 755,000 
			 H (Over £320,000) 121,000 117,000 
			  
			 Total 20,026,000 21,369,000 
		
	
	There was some movement to lower bands as a result of successful appeals during the first two or three years of the operation of council tax.
	We do not hold information on the values of individual properties within each band.
	Information on Wales and Scotland is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Executive respectively.
	The council tax is widely accepted and understood by taxpayers. However, if the system is not to fall into disrepute, it is important that banding reflects up-to-date property values. We announced in the Local Government White Paper, Strong Local Leadership— Quality Public Services, that we will introduce regular 10-yearly revaluations, the first of which will impact on bills in 2007 based on 2005 values. We will listen to people's views on banding prior to the revaluation.

Homeless People: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many homeless people in England were in bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation on 31 March; and of those (a) how many were children; (b) how many were in London and the South of England; and (c) what was the average length of stay per household.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Figures for numbers in bed and breakfast as at March 31 2002 will be available on 17 June. As at 31 December, there were 12,110 homeless households in bed and breakfast in England. Of these, 8,700 were in London and 1,270 in the South East. The Bed and Breakfast Unit has estimated that there are some 6,500 homeless households with children in bed and breakfast accommodation. The statistics to be released on 17 June will for the first time include data on length of stay.
	My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions recently announced a new commitment to ensure that by March 2004 no family with children will be placed in B&B other than in an emergency. This was accompanied by changes in housing benefit subsidies to make leasing self-contained temporary accommodation more cost-effective, and an additional £35 million from DTLR to help local authorities find alternatives to B&B.

Homeless People: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to reduce the numbers of homeless households in bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation; and how effective these steps have been.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Bed and Breakfast Unit (BBU) has undertaken a national consultation exercise, including a conference, and a number of regional good practice seminars. Examples of good practice have also been identified and shared through a newsletter and are posted on the BBU pages of the DTLR website. Shortly, the first action advice teams will go into authorities to audit procedures for getting people out of B&B.
	In March this year my right honourable friend the Secretary of State announced a £35 million programme to ensure that by March 2004 no homeless family with children is in B&B for more than six weeks. In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions has made changes to housing benefit subsidy arrangements making the leasing of self-contained property for homeless households more financially viable. High B&B using authorities are producing action plans showing how they will reduce numbers and length of stay for homeless families with children in B&B over the next two years to meet the Secretary of State's commitment.

Homeless People: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost for the year ending 31 March of providing homeless people with bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Based on the latest information supplied by local authorities in England, gross expenditure on bed and breakfast provision in 2000-01 was £193 million. Net expenditure, after taking into account income arising from charges to clients and housing benefit subsidy, was £74 million.
	My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions recently announced a new commitment to ensure that by March 2004 no family with children will be placed in B&B other than in an emergency. This was accompanied by changes in housing benefit subsidies to make leasing self-contained temporary accommodation more cost-effective and an additional £35 million from DTLR to help local authorities find alternatives to B&B.

Electoral Registers: Access and Sale

Baroness Andrews: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to allow local authorities to sell electoral registers to third parties.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: We have today published a policy paper and draft regulations setting out the Government's intentions for regulations making provision about access to and sale and supply of electoral registers.
	The approach we are adopting strikes a balance between the individual elector's right to privacy and the needs of others to receive the data to carry out their functions. There will be two versions of the register, the data in which will have been compulsorily obtained—a full one and an edited one containing particulars about only those electors who have not requested that their details be removed from the edited register.
	The full register will be available for electoral purposes, for law enforcement and crime prevention and for other purposes where there is a strong public interest in preserving availability. These include checking identity for credit purposes. The edited register will be available for sale to anyone for any purpose.
	Both the policy statement and the draft regulations have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and on the Internet for public comment on the regulations. Our aim, subject to parliamentary approval, is to make the regulations to have effect from the 2002 canvass.

Infrastructure Projects: Inquiry Procedures

Baroness Billingham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to streamline the inquiry procedures for major infrastructure projects.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My right honourable friend has today laid before Parliament a statutory instrument: The Town and Country Planning (Major Infrastructure Project Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2002. A departmental circular (DTLR Circular 02/2002) is also being issued today to accompany the new statutory instrument. This circular explains the new procedures for handling inquiries into those major infrastructure projects in England, as defined in the schedule to the rules. Copies of the statutory instrument and the circular have been placed in the House Libraries.
	The new arrangements for major infrastructure project inquiries, which are due to come into force on 7 June, are part of the package of measures announced by my right honourable friend on 20 July 2001 to streamline the planning procedures for major infrastructure projects. The department has also consulted on a key part of that package which is the proposed introduction of new procedures to enable Parliament to make a decision in principle on applications for major projects before the detail of the application is considered at a public inquiry.
	The new rules build on the improvements already made to inquiry procedure rules more generally in August 2000.
	The key changes are:
	The introduction of round table sessions will allow parties to discuss areas of concern with each other. Experience at other inquiries has shown that these can be a very effective means of agreeing facts and narrowing areas of disagreement both before and during the inquiry.
	The introduction of a technical adviser who will be tasked with assessing the technical evidence of all parties and will produce his own independent report on the technical issues.
	The introduction of mediation into inquiry proceedings which will help to narrow the issues before and during the inquiry.
	A date for the delivery of the inspector's report will be announced at the end of the inquiry. This will give certainty to the parties about the length of time.
	The provision to limit cross-examination where the inquiry timetable is put at risk has been introduced so that a situation should not arise where people at the beginning of an inquiry are not allowed to encroach into cross-examination time allocated to those at the end of the inquiry.
	All these measures included in the rules will help to improve the inquiry system for major infrastructure projects.

Litter on Roads

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider the quantity of litter on England's roads to be excessive; and, if so, what action they propose to take.

Lord Whitty: The Government do not collect centrally information detailing the quantity of litter on England's roads. However, the national annual local environmental quality survey currently being developed will assess the quantity of litter on main roads (excluding motorways), rural roads and other highways.
	Litter clearance is the responsibility of the local authority or the Highways Agency depending upon the type of road.
	The Highways Agency aims to secure continuous improvement in its routine maintenance through a move towards performance related procurement for all new contracts. One of the performance criteria of these new contracts is an environmental amenity index that examines the overall appearance of the road taking account of litter and debris, grass cutting, weed growth, cleanliness and visibility of signs.
	The Government are also committed to undertaking a review of litter legislation that will examine how effective the current cleansing powers are under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Litter on Roads

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they intend to take to reduce the amount of litter on the roads in the United Kingdom.

Lord Whitty: The national annual local environmental quality survey currently being developed will assess the quantity of litter on main roads (excluding motorways), rural roads and other highways.
	Litter clearance is the responsibility of the local authority or the Highways Agency depending upon the type of road.
	The Highways Agency aims to secure continuous improvement in its routine maintenance through a move towards performance related procurement for all new contracts. One of the performance criteria of these new contracts is an environmental amenity index that examines the overall appearance of the road taking account of litter and debris, grass cutting, weed growth, cleanliness and visibility of signs.
	The Government are also committed to undertaking a review of litter legislation that will examine how effective the current cleansing powers are under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Integrated Product Policy

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have an integrated product policy; and what examples there are of its success.

Lord Whitty: The Government have not adopted a formal national strategy for integrated product policy (IPP) at this stage. However, we are contributing to the development of a policy framework for IPP at EU level, in line with conclusions adopted by the Council of Ministers in June last year. We have also set up the Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment (ACCPE) to advise on the development of IPP approaches in the UK and how they can most effectively be put into practice to reduce the impacts of consumer goods. Further consideration will be needed in the light of ACCPE's second report, Action for Greener Products, published earlier this month, and a White Paper on IPP which the European Commission has undertaken to produce this summer.
	An example of where elements of IPP thinking are already being applied successfully in the UK is in some of the main electrical and electronic product sectors, for which Defra runs a strategy and practical implementation programme called the Market Transformation Programme. This has been working with manufacturers and other stakeholders to achieve savings in the energy used by major domestic goods and by commercial equipment. The lessons learned in this programme are now being tried out to address other environmental issues such as water consumption related to domestic goods and equipment.

Heddon-on-the-Wall: Tests forFoot and Mouth

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the tests for foot and mouth disease carried out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs veterinarians in February 2001 at Mr Bobby Waugh's farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, were positive or negative; and whether the results of those tests have been made public.

Lord Whitty: The results of the tests for foot and mouth virus in February 2001 at Bobby Waugh's farm are likely to form part of the evidence at the current trial.

Smallpox Vaccines

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath that the procurement of smallpox vaccines fell outside the usual rules governing competitive tendering because the procurement concerns national security (HL Deb, 18 April, col 1075), whether they regard the announcement by PowderJect Pharmaceuticals that it had been awarded a contract for the supply of smallpox vaccines as a breach of national security.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The announcement by PowderJect to the Stock Exchange concerned the award of a £32 million contract and its collaboration with Bavarian Nordic and was not considered to be a breach of national security.

Smallpox Vaccines

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they considered the use of the accelerated tendering procedures permitted by European Union procurement rules for the purchase of smallpox vaccines; and, if so, why those procedures were not adopted.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: As smallpox has been eradicated since the 1970s, its re-introduction is likely to occur only as a result of terrorist activity. This therefore raises issues of national security.
	In seeking to establish which vaccine-manufacturing companies might be able to provide new vaccine to meet our requirements we took the view that purchase of the new vaccine should not be subject to the usual open competitive tendering process, including the accelerated process under the European Union procurement rules. There are specific exemptions allowed for this in procurement legislation on the grounds of protection of the basic and essential interests of national security. John B

Equality Proposals

Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What initial conclusions the Government have reached on the long-term arrangements for offering governmental advice, guidance and support on equality matters.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Mrs Barbara Roche) has today formally announced the start of a project considering the long-term options for the UK's equality machinery. It is intended that this project will report its initial findings in the autumn.
	Our first step will be to look at the feasibility of a single equality body.
	The project will consider the work of the existing commissions (the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC)) and existing discrimination legislation and put them in the context of new legislation for equal treatment in employment and training on grounds of age, sexual orientation and religion.
	We are keen to work closely with other experts in the equalities field on this project. The Government want to be sure that the long-term structures for equality in the UK are carefully thought out and designed to meet the needs of all, individuals and businesses alike.
	The existing commissions have over different timescales made an admirable and significant contribution to equality in this country. We need to ensure that the expertise and reputation of the commissions is preserved whatever the outcome of the review, and we shall be involving and consulting them at every stage to ensure this happens.
	If the outcome of the project and consultation does lead to recommendations for significant change, it is not expected that any new structures will be operative in the lifetime of this Parliament.
	The terms of reference for the project have been placed in the Library.

Members' Correspondence: Handling by Departments

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How long each government department takes to reply to correspondence from:
	(a) Members of the House of Lords; and
	(b) Members of the House of Commons; and
	Whether they will instruct all government departments that all letters from Members of both Houses of Parliament should be replied to within six weeks of receipt and, in cases where a full reply cannot be sent within that period, a letter explaining delay must be sent.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the handling of Members' correspondence by each department, detailing target dates for reply, volume of correspondence received and percentage of replies within targets. All departments and agencies have targets for replies of six weeks or less.
	The annual report for 2001 is due to be published shortly.
	Parallel details regarding correspondence from Members of the House of Lords are not currently recorded centrally.
	The Cabinet Office has published Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament: Guidance for Departments and Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament: Good Practice Guidance (copies available in the Library of the House) which set out the general and best practice principles departments should follow when replying to correspondence from Members of the House of Commons.
	There is currently no separate guidance regarding the handling of correspondence from Members of the House of Lords.
	To rectify this anomaly, officials in the Cabinet Office will write to departments asking them to ensure that with effect from 1 June 2002 they apply response targets to all correspondence from Members, including Members of the House of Lords.
	The guidance will also be amended to make clear that it covers correspondence from both Houses.